The most common known and used fastener for absorbent articles such as sanitary napkins, panty liners, diapers, incontinence garments, training pants, shields, etc. is adhesive. Adhesives, especially garment-attachment adhesives which are designed to directly adhere to an undergarment, exhibit some problems. First, they have a tendency to leave a residue on the undergarment and after a number of applications, this build up can result in undesirable tactile properties and/or discoloration. Such discoloration may cause the user to eventually discard the undergarment before it would normally be discarded. Second, the adhesive can stick to the skin and cause discomfort. Third, even though adhesives are relatively inexpensive, a peel strip is required to be placed over the adhesive, prior to use, to protect it from becoming contaminated. The cost of the peel strip along with the extra cost of cutting, aligning and placing the peel strip over the adhesive increases the total cost of manufacturing the product.
"VELCRO" and other types of hook and loop fasteners are just making their entry into the marketplace. While some attention has been given to magnetic catches and closures for uses with clothing, there has been little use or attention given to such means for catamenial devices. Generally speaking, this has probably been due to the fact that garment-attachment adhesives are relatively inexpensive and lend themselves well to a manufacturing process where they can be sprayed or coated onto a moving web at fast speeds. Also, there have been problems maintaining magnetic strength with inexpensive materials, the weight and bulk of the closure for the desired strength, and their relative inflexibility. Consequently, magnetic fasteners are not currently utilized on hygienic absorbent articles.
However, there remains a real need for an absorbent article, like a sanitary napkin, having some type of simple and inexpensive fastener for holding the article secure to the crotch portion of an undergarment. There is also a need for a fastener which can be readily and easily opened and/or refastened a plurality of times without loosing it's strength. Furthermore, there is a need for an absorbent article having a fastener which will not damage the undergarment to which it is attached.
Now an absorbent article having a unique attachment mechanism has been invented along with a method of attaching the absorbent article to a crotch portion of an undergarment.